Watch attachment



April 1941- H. c. KEYES 2,237,231

WATCH ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I716 I 54 a I a Aprifl 1, 1941. H. c. KEYES WATCH ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Prior/Ir? 7f 9 7 Patented Apr. 1, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT EFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an attachment for watches and particularly for wrist watches of the type provided with stems which pull out for setting the watch.

Due to the small size. of wrist watches which requires that the part thereof be very small in size, much trouble results to users of wrist watches in having stems, which are pulled out for setting, pulled completely out of the watch thereby causing the setting and winding assembly of the watch to be disarranged on' the dial sidewof the movement. Considerable repair work is necessary to again arrange the setting and winding assembly which is necessary in addition to replacing the winding stem. This pulling out of the stem is caused by the detent or setting lever either breaking off at the end which engages, the stem or because the screw which pivotally mounts the detent or setting lever becomes loose, permitting the detent or setting lever to move to a position out of engagement with the stem so that the stem, which is held in position only bysaid detent or setting lever, will be free to pull completely out of the watch, when it is again drawn outwardly for setting the watch.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an attachment which will prevent the stem from being pulled out and which will also relieve the detent or setting lever from much wear due to the fact that it will prevent the stem from being pulled out to an extent that the detent will be subjected to excess pressure.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide a stop lever adapted to be mounted for pivotal movement relatively to the bottom plate of a watch and having one end disposed for engaging a restricted portion of the shank for limiting the outward movement of the stem.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide a recess in the movement side of the bottom plate of the watch constructed and arranged to receive the stop lever to permit a limited movement of the lever relatively to said plate and provided with a circular portion for receiving the circular end of the stop lever for pivotally mounting the lever in the recess.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the dial side of a watch works with the main spring plate broken away to show the attachment in position therein,

' fully explained. Stem Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the same showing the main spring plate entirely removed,

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a similar view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure 2, looking toward the opposite, movement side of the bottom plate,

Figure. 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing a watch not equipped with the attachment,

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the. stem pulled entirely out of the watch, and

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the stern pulled out to the extent permitted by the attachment.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, IE! designates generally the works of a wrist watch having a stem l I which is pulled out for setting the watch. The watch works It include the winding gear E2, the clutch i3 and the setting gear M, which parts are best illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. The clutch wheel is i provided with an annular toothed portion H; at one end thereof which normally meshes with a corresponding toothed portion It on one side of the gear i2, and said clutch wheel is provided with a crown gear portion I! at its opposite end to mesh with the gear l4, when moved to a position for setting the watch, as will hereinafter be more H is provided with a square shank portion l8 on which is slidably mounted the clutch wheel l3 and a rounded portion, not shown, on which is loosely mounted the winding gear l2.

Referring to Figure 5, the dial side of the bottom plate I9 is provided with a recess in which is disposed a spring arm 29 having an end 2| which is fixedly secured to the plate l9 and an end 22 which is positioned in the restricted intermediate portion 23 of the clutch wheel l3. A detent or setting lever 24 is pivotally connected to the plate i9, intermediate of its ends, by a screw 25 and has one end disposed in the restricted portion 26 of the stem H which is formed by the spaced collars 2'! and 28. The opposite end 29 of the detent 24 is disposed for engagement with one edge of the intermediate portion of the arm 2B so that when the stem H is pulled outwardly, to the position asseen in Figure 8, detent 24 will be rocked in a clockwise direction by the collar 21 engaging the first mentioned end of the detent to rock its end 29 to cause said end to move end 22 of arm 2|] away from the gear l2 to thereby move the clutch wheel l3 from its position, as seen in Figure 5 to its position, as seen in Figure 8. In this last mentioned position, when the stem H is turned by the thumb and forefinger, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 8, the setting gear M will be turned. When the stem H is again pushed inwardly, to its position as seen in Figure 5, arm will spring back to return the detent 24 and the clutch wheel |3 to their positions, as seen in Figure 5, with the toothed portion I5 in mesh with the toothed portion l5 so that turning of the knurled knob 3|) of the stem II will cause the clutch wheel l3 to turn the winding gear ill for winding the watch. These parts which have heretofore been described are all of conventional construction and are shown merely to illustrate the application of the invention which will hereinafter be described. Furthermore, the spring arm 20 and detent 24 are intended to illustrate merely one form of means for moving the parts, heretofore described, to positions for setting the Watch and other means may be substituted for the parts 20 and 24 without afiecting the function or operation of the invention.

The attachment, designated generally 3|, and comprising the invention, includes a stop lever, designated generally 32 which, as best seen in Figure 3,'includes an arcuately shaped end 33, a substantially fiat intermediate portion 34 and a circular or disk shaped end 35, which is best seen in Figure 2. The attachment 3| also includes a recess, designated generally 36 which is formed in the movement side of the bottom plate l9, or the side opposite to that in which the arm 23 and detent 24 are mounted. Recess 36 includes a circular portion 31 and a portion 38 which communicates with a part of the circular portion 31 and which diverges therefrom and which opens, at its diverging end, into the bore of the watch works ID, in which the stem II is disposed.

The circular portion 37 is of slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the circular end and of slightly greater depth than the thickness of said end so that the end 35 may be positioned in the recess portion 31 and in surficiently loose engagement to permit a turning movement therein. When thus disposed, the intermediate portion 34 is loosely disposed in the diverging portion 36. The intermediate portion 34 is likewise of a thickness slightly less than the depth of the portion 38. When the portions 34 and 35 are thus disposed in the portions 38 and 31, respectively, the arcuately shaped end 33 is disposed in the bore 39 of the stem H for engaging over the upper portion of the restricted part 26 thereof and between the collars 21 and 28. The main spring plate 40 of the watch works In, as best seen in Figure 3, is disposed over a portion of the movement side of the bottom plate l9 including the portion thereof containing the recess 36, so that the stop lever 32 is retained in position in the recess 36 by the plate.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the stop lever 32 of the attachment 3| is mounted to permit it to pivot to a limited extent relatively to the recess 36 so that when the stem is pulled ouwardly the collar 21 will engage the arcuately shaped end 33 to swing said end outwardly until the intermediate portion 34 engages the side 4| of theportion 38 which forms astop to limit the outward swinging movement of the end 33 and consequently the outward movement of the stem i l, which position is shown in Figure 8. When the stem is pushed inwardly to its normal winding position stop lever 32 will move from its dotted line position, of Figure 2, to the full line position of said figure by being engaged by the collar 28. The portion 38 of recess 36 is sized so that its side 4| will stop the outward swinging movement of the lever 32 when the detent 24 has been moved suiiiciently to move arm 25 to a position to cause the clutch l3 to mesh with the gear M and no farther so that an excessive pull on the stem II will be resisted by the stop lever 32 and not by the detent 24,

In a watch, as seen in Figure 6 which is not equipped with the attachment 3|, as heretofore explained, all of the pressure caused by the outward pull on the stem must be resisted by the detent 24 which tends to cause wear on the threads of the screw 25 and of the opening, not shown, in the plate l9 in which the screw is mounted so that the screw will become loose permitting the detent to move to a position so that the collar 21 can pass the end of the detent which is disposed in the restricted portion 26 thereby permitting the stem H to pull completely out, as illustrated in Figure 7 when drawn outwardly for positioning the parts to set the watch. Also, the screw 25 may become sufiiciently loose to disengage the threads of the opening of the plate I9 to permit the detent 24 to move to a position entirely out of engagement with the stem so that the stem will pull entirely out of the watch when drawn outwardly for setting the watch. In either case, if the stem II is pulled completely out, as illustrated in Figure '7, the setting and winding assembly will be disarranged. The attachment 3| not only prevents the stem from being pulled out too far but also prevents pressure on the screw 25 to reduce the wear on said screw and to reduce the possibility of the detent 24 being broken off adjacent the end which engages the restricted portion 26. Should the detent 24 of a watch equipped with the attachment 3| break or be dislodged by loosening or removal of the screw 25 from its position in the plate I9 the watch may not be set but will still run and may still be wound and to repair it it is only necessary to replace the detent, or to replace the screw 25 or tighten the screw, depending upon whether the detent is broken, the screw 25 loosened or entirely removed.

To remove the stop 32 it is only necessary to detach the plate 40 and invert the watch works Ill so that the stop 32 can drop out. If desired, stop 32 may be secured in the recess 36 by means of a screw, not shown, similar to the screw 25 which would extend through the circular portion 35 for pivotally connecting said portion and the portion 3'! of the recess 35.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. An attachment for watches of the type provided with pull out stems for setting, comprising a stop lever pivotally mounted in a watch and having one end disposed for engagement with a restricted portion of the stem of the watch for limiting the outward movement of the stem, the bottom plateof the watch being provided with a recess in its movement side for receiving the stop lever, said recess and stop lever being constructed and arranged to cause the recess to pivotally mount and to limit the swinging movement of the stop lever in both directions, said stop lever and recess having portions engaging one another so as to provide the sole means for pivotally mounting the lever.

2. An attachment for wrist watches of the type provided with stems which are pulled out for setting, comprising a stop member for engaging a restricted portion of the stem, and the watch having a recess constructed and arranged for mounting said stop member and for engaging subsubstantially around a portion thereof to provide the sole means for pivotally mounting the member, and said recess having a portion for loosely engaging a portion of the member for limiting the movement thereof in both directions to prevent the stem from being pulled out of the watch.

3. An attachment for wrist watches of the type provided with a stem which is pulled out for setting the watch, comprising a stop lever having an enlarged rounded end, the bottom plate of the Watch being provided with a recess in its movement side, said recess comprising a diverging portion and a rounded portion communicating with the restricted end thereof, the rounded portion being sized to snugly receive the rounded end of said lever, said lever being positioned in said recess and being mounted to pivot relatively thereto, the sides of the diverging portion of said recess forming shoulders for limiting the pivotal movement of the lever, and the opposite end of said lever being disposed to engage a restricted portion of the watch stem for limiting the outward movement of the stem.

4. An attachment as in claim 3, said last mentioned end of the stop lever being bowed relatively to its longitudinal axis for engaging partially around the restricted portion of the stem.

5. An attachment for Wrist watches of the type provided with stems which pull out for setting the Watch, comprising a stop member mounted between the bottom plate and main spring plate of a watch and positioned in a recess in the bottom plate, said recess being constructed and arranged to provide a portion to substantially surround a portion of the stop member to provide therewith the sole means to pivotally mount the stop member relatively to the watch, said recess having a portion to loosely receive a por tion of the stop member to restrict the pivotal movement thereof in both directions, and said stop member having one end engaging a portion of the Watch stem for limiting the outward movement thereof beyond a certain position.

6. An attachment for wrist watches of the type provided with stems which pull out for setting, comprising in combination with a watch having a bottom plate provided with a recess having a circular portion at one end thereof and a portion communicating therewith and diverging therefrom, a stop lever having a circular end turnably mounted in the circular portion of the recess, said stop lever having an intermediate portion disposed in the diverging portion of the recess, and the opposite end of said stop lever being arcuately shaped for engaging around a part of a restricted portion of the Watch stem, the sides of the diverging portion of the recess forming shoulders for limiting the pivotal movement of the stop lever relatively to the recess, and said stop lever being adapted to limit the outward movement of the watch stem.

HERBERT CHENAULT KEYES. 

